When: Sapkit's War
by Ravynfeather
Summary: Sequel to my first warriors story, 'If! Fireheart/Spottedfoot have a new surprise! And is Sandstorm REALLY gone forever? What happened to her and the foxes when she got exiled? Find out in 'When: Sapkit's War! (VERY OLD AND DISCONTINUED!)
1. Chapter 1

**Alllllll right! I'm so excited that you're excited XD**

** Chapter One - Finally fighting back**

Sapkit bounced from paw to paw as her mother, Spottedfoot, tried to groom her fur. Kindlekit watched, his eyes full of amusement.

"If you groom any more, she won't have any fur left!" He purred as Sapkit dodged out of the way again.

Spottedfoot sat back on her haunches and looked at her kits with pride. "Well then stop fussing and you'll have some fur left." She purred and gave them each a reasuring lick on the head.

Sapkit looked out the entrance of the nursery. Outside, Bluestar and Fireheart were murmuring to each other in the snowy clearing. Finally, Bluestar got to her paws and jumped up onto the Highrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a clan meeting!" She yowled.

The kits shot out of the nursery, sending tufts of snow flying, Spottedfoot following behind.

"Today, two kits will join the ranks of the 'paws." She looked through the crowd at Sapkit and Kindlekit. They tried to walk calmly up to the Highrock, but excitement took over and they darted forward.

Sapkit was first up and she sat with her chest puffed out. Kindlekit joined and flicked his tail over her ear and hissed with mock-anger "It's not a race, mousebrain!" Sapkit just purred.

"Kindlekit," Bluestar started "Please come forward." The little white-and-orange cat took an excited step forward. "Kindlekit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is high time that you were apprenticed. From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you known as Kindlepaw. Your mentor will be Whitestorm. I hope he passes all he knows down to you.

"Whitestorm," She continued "You will take on Kindlepaw as an apprentice. Your skills in hunting and defending have improved over the moons. I know will you will pass all you know down to Kindlepaw." She stepped back and let Whitestorm and the newly named Kindlepaw touch noses.

"Sapkit," She mewed as the little white kit stepped forward "You are six moons old and, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sappaw. Your mentor will be Graystripe." Bluestar turned to the gray tom, who sat with bright eyes "Graystripe, this is your first apprentice, but I know you will pass you excellent hunting and stalking skills on to Sappaw."

Their leader let them touch noses. As they did so, Graystripe whispered "I hope you don't get in as much mischief as your father did!" His eyes sparkled with humour and Sappaw purred.

"Sappaw, Kindlepaw, Sappaw, Kindlepaw!" The clan chanted as the new apprenticed sat beside their mentors.

"I hope you two are up to some walking..." Whitestorm meowed as he and Graystripe exchanged tiny nods of agreement.

Sappaw felt her chest was going to burst with excitement. They were going to leave the camp!

Kindlepaw jumped up and down "Are we going to see the Fourtrees?" He mewed excitedly.

Whitestorm looked at him with icy blue eyes "Possibly, if we leave before the sun is above the treeline." He looked up at the sky. There wasn't even a wisp of cloud. Four moons had passed since the begining of leafbare.

Four moons since Sandstorm. Since the foxes. Since her mother's death. Sappaw still didn't know how her mother came back from being slaughtered. She shook her head, not wanting to think about it again.

"So what are we going to see?" Sappaw asked.

Kindlekit's eyes sparkled "The thunderpath?"

Graystripe shook his head, baffled "I just don't get why kits want to see the thunderpath so much..."

Whitestorm's eyes filled with long forgotten sadness. Sappaw remembered the story that his mother had died there when he was just a kit. Bluestar looked after him in her sister, Snowfur's, place.

"We'll probably start by the Riverclan border." Whitestorm meowed hastily.

"Blech! By the fish-faces?" Kindlepaw exclaimed.

Sappaw playfully boxed his ears. "Be kinder! They may reek of old prey, but they could still shred you to ribbons, if they wanted to!"

Kindlepaw growled, pretending to be a Riverclan warrior. "Like this?" He yowled and bowled her over, pinning her to the snowy ground.

"Hey, you stinking fish-face!" Sappaw yelped "Get off of me before I smell like river!"

Kindlepaw rolled over "Never!" He jumped back and arched his spine "Give me your river! I'll eat all the fish!"

Sappaw purred and was about to jump at her snow-covered brother when Graystripe cleared his throat.

"While I enjoy sitting here all day, we need to get moving." He meowed dryly.

Sappaw stopped and looked at her paws.

"Let's go!" Whitestorm popped to his feet and marched towards the thorn barrier.

Sappaw and Kindlepaw threw one last amused look at each other before racing after their mentors.

* * *

><p>Sappaw looked around the snowy forest as the padded onwards to the river. It was so beautiful during when there was snow, but they couldn't hide the fact that everyone was hungry. Good thing the weather was starting to warm up now.<p>

"Here!" Graystripe stopped abruptly.

Sappaw walked to his side and looked down. Below their paws, was a thin sheet of cracked ice. Below _that_, was black water that turned and flowed.

"This is the.. river?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yup. Right now it has some ice left on it, but as the weather continues to warm up, you're going to notice the ice gets thinner. Soon, it'll crack completely and you'll be able to see the water underneath." Graystripe meowed importantly.

Kindlepaw looked at the frozen river. "... Lame."

Whitestorm whipped his head around, about to scold him, but stopped. He looked back at the frozen river. "Actually... It is, a little."

Graystripe snorted.

"Next is the Shadowclan border! Trust me, it smells worse there than here." The gray warrior announced.

Kindlepaw clawed at the hard ground "I hope we see some Shadowclan warriors!"

"Nooo, you don't."

"I do."

Sappaw looked at Graystripe "If he wants to be shredded to bits, let him."

"Hey!" Kindlepaw mewed indignantly "You would miss me, you know it."

"No.

"You would too. Who would be the funny one?" He puffed out his little white chest.

"Funny looking, maybe." Sappaw purred.

"I don't look weird!" He defended himself. But he did, just a little. His fur was mostly white, and his paws were orange. The tip and the base of his tail was orange, and the tip of his left ear was also orange.

Sappaw purred and rubbed her head against his, and he relaxed.

The group began to walk to the Shadowclan border. As they walked, Graystripe slowed to a stop. Kindlepaw and Sappaw stopped with Whitestorm in front of the gray warrior.

Whitestorm turned, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Graystripe paused and looked around. Then he looked back at the white warrior. He looked so confused.

"... Graystripe?"

The confused tom blinked. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

He hesitated then flattened his ears. "It smells like..."

Sappaw padded up to her mentor. "What is it, Graystripe?"

Graystripe swallowed and answered, not looking at an cat in particular.

"It smells like fox."

**Alright, that was just an intro to the new book XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woot woot! Oh, and sorry if there's lots of Grammar/ Spelling mistakes XD I wrote this around 12:00-1:00 LOL  
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** Chapter Two - Fights and conversations alike**

A plump, ginger she-cat sat on the cliff above the Moonstones, a fox pacing behind her. She fluffed up against the wind that tugged at her fur, and the naked branches below her.

The fox was almost full-grown, and spoke fluent cat. He was raised by the ginger she-cat.

"I'm positive they noticed I was there." The fox worried.

A striped tom padded to the side of his mate. "Calm down. Do you see them running to get us?"

The fox whipped its head around to come face-to-face with the tom. "_Calm down_? Longtail, you're not the one that kits have been raised to fear."

Longtail snorted.

"Umbra, Longtail," The she-cat hissed "I don't need this."

Umbra sat back on his haunches. Longtail looked back over the cliff-face.

"Sandsto-" Longtail began, but was cut off.

"I am no longer called 'Sandstorm". That would mark me as one of Thunderclan." She growled, flashing her emerald eyes.

Longtail flicked the tip of his tail "Storm," He continued "Why are we even bothering with Thunderclan anymore? You killed Spottedfoot, isn't that what you wanted?"

Storm snorted "Spottedfoot is dead, yes, but not the rest of Thunderclan. When the forest clan has been wiped out, we move in." She smirked "Besides, the forest is better than this barren landscape. It better suits Windclan cats."

Umbra growled, "What about the other clans? I doubt they'll let Thunderclan get killed - Despite any differences."

Storm nodded, "I have prepared for that scenario."

"Oh?"

She flashed a look at the fox. "I have had to have taught you better, right? You should know what it is."

"I do, but I didn't think you would stoop to that level." Umbra replied darkly.

Longtail looked at them and flattened his ears. "Storm... you wouldn't really do that..would you?"

Storm shrugged. "I do what I have to." She looked over the bare forest. "We would repeatedly attack each clan, until they are too weak to even defend themselves. Depending on the clan, I would recruit them, say, Shadowclan." She smirked again. "The rest, we kill. Thunderclan will be an easy target - We've already gotten two of their best warriors, Spottedfoot and Tigerclaw, and two potential warriors, the two kits."

Longtail was quiet for a moment. Them he meowed, trying to change the subject "When are you getting your nine lives?"

"Tonight." She looked back at her mate "This is no longer about Spottedfoot." She reasurred.

Longtail flattened his ears. "I just don't get why you have to go so far..." He mumbled, nearly inaudible.

Three other foxes trodded into view, their fur fluffed against the drifting snow and wind.

Umbra turned. "Tenebrae, Mortuus, Cerae." He greeted his family.

Tenebrae nodded.

Cerae looked at Umbra. "Well? Did you find out anything?" She asked.

Umbra shook his head. "Not really. All I could find out was that they're all hungry."

Mortuus snorted. "Big surprise, there..." He growled sarcastically.

Cerae was the mother of Umbra, Mortuus, and Tenebrae. She is also the fox that Storm had helped when she was in the clan still.

Shaking her head, Tenebrae asked Storm "What is the point, anyways?"

Storm snarled "To survive? Revenge?"

Longtail hissed a sigh and got up. "I'm going to hunt. Come on Mortuus."

The young fox padded after Longtail, Storm not even blinking.

Cerae padded up to Storm. "Come to the den... The cold can't be good for you." She looked down at Storm's swollen belly. "Especially not for an expectant queen."

Storm shrugged and trudged back to the underground den with Umbra, Cerae, and Tenebrae.

Inside, Storm cackled hysterically.

To survive, you have to have _some_ fun, right?

**Here's a little language lesson for the lot of ya! **

**Latin (otherwise known as the 'Dead Language'):**

**Umbra: Shadow**

**Tenebrae: Dark**

**Mortuus: Dead**

**(You can guess who named THOSE foxes lol)**

**You'll**_** never **_**guess this one. **

**Cerae:...Vase... lol**

**Next chappy will be a soon as I can clear up my computer XD  
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	3. Chapter 3

**~Listening to Bioshock music as I write~ *Look up Escape by Garry Schyman Track 25, Bioshock 2 lol It's good for action bits***

** Chapter Three - Not to burst your bubble, or anything, but...**

Sappaw's fur rose along her spine.

Fox? Maybe Graystripe was imagining it... Maybe he was tired... Maybe...

"That can't be right.." Whitestorm muttered. The two warriors stood side-by-side and sniffed at the air, trying to catch the scent again.

"He's right..." Whitestorm growled, his own fur rising.

"We have to tell the clan!" Kindlepaw hissed, starting to run towards the camp. Whitestorm darted in front of him, blocking his path.

"One: You don't know your way around here, so don't even try that. Two: We will go _together_." Whitestorm growled slowly.

Sappaw bristled. "But if _she's_ back, she might sic the foxes on our clan again!"

"We will tell them, together."

Graystripe shook his, getting rid of the confused look. He suddenly ran off.

"Wait! I said together!" Whitestorm yowled. He looked back at the new apprentices. "Well? Let's go, already!"

Sappaw ran alongside her brother, both barely keeping up with Whitestorm.

* * *

><p>The three burst into the clearing, covered in snow and their breath billowing.<p>

"Graystripe," Bluestar called, glancing away from Fireheart. "What's going on?"

"F...Fo...Fox scent..." He panted, trying to shake the clumps of snow of himself.

Spottedfoot, who just came out of the warriors den, bristled her fur. "You didn't... see it, did you?" She narrowed her eyes "You could've brought it here..."

"No, we didn't see it. We only scented it." Whitestorm meowed as he padded up to Bluestar.

Fireheart blinked. "Where did you scent it?"

"About halfway to the Shadowclan border." Whitestorm replied.

Spottedfoot looked about. "Can't we track it down? Kill it?"

Sappaw heard her mother say this, but what she knew her mother really meant, was "Can't we track her down and kill Sandstorm?"

Of course her mother wouldn't really say this, but every cat could tell that's what she meant.

Bluestar shook her head. "No. The weather is still cold, we are still weak, and if some warriors leave... Who knows what the foxes might do when we're gone."

Spottedfoot growled. "But what if they come here..."

"It's better if they comer here when _every_ warrior is here." Bluestar meowed bluntly.

Sappaw watched as the warriors around her argued. She thought this nightmare was finally over... Was Sandstorm coming back? Or were the foxes just back for round two?

She watched the warriors growling and arguing about whether or not they would track Sandstorm down.

"Bluestar, I won't be able to live with myself if the rest of my kits die..." Spottedfoot pointed out, so quietly, that Sappaw was sure she was the only one that heard.

But their leader heard. "She's not going to kill your kits." She growled "Besides, I told her I will flay her alive if I ever saw her again. I will not let that promise die."

Smallear waddled out of the elder's den and looked at everyone. "How can we be sure that it's even Sandstorm?" Every cat was quiet, and he looked around. "What?..."

"Smallear," Bluestar began, padded quickly over to the old cat. "you don't have to blurt such nonsense out..." She whisked Smallear back into the den.

Sappaw looked back at her mother. She was licking her chest, trying to cover up her fear.

She suddenly felt a rush of determination.

If Sandstorm was coming back, Sappaw would fight.

This was her war, now.

**Super short, super awesome, super super super...**

**:P lol**


	4. Chapter 4

**All right! Was trying to find the second book in the first series and couldn't XD I needed the list of Windclan cats lol Only the Evil-ish cats die in this chap, btw!**

**Enjoy!**

** Chapter Four - Windclan's battle**

Tallstar limped out from behind the Tallrock. His camp was ravaged; the gorse tunnel that surrounded it was broken and lay scattered around the clearing. Mudclaw and Wedpaw were crumpled in the middle of the blood soaked clearing, motionless, their eyes glazed with death.

Behind the dead cats, a Ginger she-cat sat with her tail wrapped calmly around her paws. Behind her, two foxes guarded her back, snarling at the fearful Windclan cats that fluffed their fur up in an attempt look stronger than the foxes. She hooked her claw on Mudclaw's chin. "Well?"

Tallstar spiked the fur along his spine. "Never!" He spat at her.

The she-cat looked up from the dead warrior. "You will change your mind soon, Tallstar. You intuition seems to be clouded by your loyalty for you clan. I can fix that..."

Tallstar yowled and began to rush the she cat, when Deadfoot intercepted him, stepping quickly in his path. "If you attack her, the foxes behind her will surely attack. No one is ready to lose you yet, and I'm not ready to become leader." Tallstar paused and nodded, taking a step back.

"Very well," He growled. He turned to the she-cat behind Deadfoot. "Who are you?"

The she-cat set Mudclaw's head down, unhooking her claw. With a mock-formal bow, she meowed "I am Stormstar."

Murmurs of shock rippled through the clan.

"There's another leader?"

"That can't be! There's always been four clans... A fifth leader is ridiculous!"

"What about the foxes?"

Tallstar kept a level gaze with Stormstar. "Which clan do you lead? Which leader died?"

Stormstar let out a small, amused snort. "No leader has died yet. I lead Foxclan." She nodded towards the dead Windclan cats. "If I don't get the answer I want, _that_ will become of your 'noble' clan."

Tallstar lashed his tail angrily, causing some drifting fur to get stuck in his blood-soaked tail. "How many times must I tell you? I won't join you! Nor will I help you destroy the clans!"

Stormstar shrugged and began to walk out of the camp. Over her shoulder, she called "Very well, Tallstar. This is not the last of me you'll see."

With one last snap at the cats, the two foxes followed her out, scraping sand over the entrance of the camp, as if burying dirt.

* * *

><p>Nightstar shrank back against the pines as two foxes reared up on him, teeth bared in a snarl.<p>

"Stay away!" He yowled. The Shadowclan leader froze as one of the foxes spoke to him.

"We don't plan on killing you..." He growled. "We're just here to prove a point."

The other one nodded. "Stormstar should be here soon, with the others."

Nightstar's fur exploded across his body, fluffing up to three times his size. "Who is that? Who are the others? Tell me what's going on!"

The first fox snarled smugly. "That's some pretty brave talk for a cornered cat."

Nightstar hissed at it. "Stay away! I've got eight lives on you!"

"Greetings, Nightstar. I'm glad I finally got the chance to speak with you." A voice said from behind the foxes, who moved away and let a ginger she-cat in. Following at her side, were two bloodied foxes.

"I am Stormstar. I have come to speak with you about an alliance."

Nightstar squealed "You realize there are _foxes_ following you, right?"

Stormstar shrugged. "Anyways, I'm trying to push a certain clan out of their territory, but they have already proven to be able to fight my clanmates."

"Y-you mean the foxes?" Nightstar stammered, pulling his fur out of some sap from a tree. In the dark pine-forest, there were no warriors to help Nightstar. He had gone out for a breather, and found himself cornered by foxes between two trees.

"Who else would I mean?" The she-cat growled.

Nightstar's eyes flicked to her belly, then back to her cold eyes. "You're...you're expecting...Why are you out so late when you have kits?"

Stormstar flicked her tail. "I will not be brought down by the fact I'm an expectant queen. Besides...I'm the one fighting." Nightstar swallowed nervously.

"Fine!" He yowled. "Fine, I'll help you! Just don't kill me or my clan!"

Stormstar's eyes brightened. "Good. I just paid Windclan a visit... We wouldn't want what occurred to them, happen to your clan..."

Nightstar lashed his tail nervously. "Can-can I go?"

Stormstar nodded. "Very well. Speak to no cat about this, or the next time I see you, I will not be here in peace."

She turned, beckoned her clanmates with her, and padded back through the dark forest.

**It's short I know, but next chapter is a Gathering!**

**Also, If there's spelling/grammar mistakes, it's cause I woke up at 9:00 a.m and wrote this at 11:00 p.m lol  
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	5. Chapter 5

**~Down with the Sickness starts playing in the backround~**

**Bwahwaaaaah! **

**ლ****(**ಠಠ**ლ****) Y U NO READ? Lol**

** Chapter Five - Nemesis  
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Spottedfoot sat in the dark clearing. The cloudless sky revealed the moon, that shone brightly. Fireheart sat beside her, his pelt pressed against hers. He looked at her, his green eyes gleaming. Right as he was about to say something, Bluestar called the Gathering to a silence with a single yowl.

" Windclan is not here, but we must start. They are far from late." She flicked her tail. "Thunderclan has done well this leafbare, though we are relieved that newleaf is quickly approaching. We have nothing to report, except that we smelled the faintest trace of fox the other day. We have patrolled our borders, and made sure that there was no way for it to enter our territory without being noticed. We also have two new apprentices here today: Sappaw and Kindlepaw."

As she stepped back, Riverclan, Shadowclan, and Thunderclan cats yowled their approvals. Nightstar stepped forward. "We, too, have scented fox, but other than that there is no proof it was in our territory. I have nothing else to report."

As Crookedstar opened his mouth to report his news, a yowl came from outside the Fourtrees.

"We're here! Don't you forget about us. Starclan forbid, you probably did already." Tallstar plummeted into the Fourtrees. Cats all around gasped at the shape every single Windclan cat was in. Even the apprentices looked mangled.

"Tallstar," Bluestar greeted the Windclan leader as he jumped up onto his spot. "What happened?"

"Why did you take so long?" Nightstar growled.

Crookedstar narrowed his eyes. "And why did you have to interrupt me...?"

Tallstar lifted his head to every cat. "We were attacked."

Gasps echoed around the clearing and fur fluffed up in suspicion and anger.

"Which clan?"

"Why?"

"Well, it wasn't our clan!"

Spottedfoot's fur along her spine rose as she listened to everyone. Tallstar let everyone simmer down before continuing. "Let me ask you all something," Tallstar began. "How many 'Clans have there been since the beginning of cats in the forest?"

"Four!" A mixture of cats called out at the same time. An outraged yowl escaped Tallstar's mouth, leaving every cat silenced and angry.

"Not anymore! This cat has changed the rules that Starclan themselves laid down, and she didn't even blink an eye!" He spat, his tail spiking. "I was threatened, and attacked! A warrior and apprentice died because of her! She didn't even care! And this cat had to have had knowledge of the warrior-ways, or else she wouldn't have nine lives!" He whipped around to the other leaders, his eyes wild with desperation and outrage. "Which one of you did this? Which one of you let this cat free? Because it wasn't our clan!"

Crookedstar got to his paws and looked Tallstar in the eye. "It was no cat from our clan. Why assume this cat was from a clan? She could simply be a former kittypet that heard rumors about the clans." Spottedfoot watched the leaders in horror. 'She...' Spottedfoot bristled, ruing the thought of who 'she' is.

"No.." Fireheart hissed under his breath. What was he thinking..

Tallstar lashed his tail and nodded briskly to his tiny group of warriors. "Does it look like a kittypet attacked us?" Windclan cats all around ruffled their torn fur in defense.

_Those poor warriors..., _Spottedfoot thought as she looked at the many long and deep gashes and wounds, _If this really is Sandstorm, how will we fight back when not even Windclan - Who hasn't fought for ages- can't win? _She looked at Sappaw and Kindlepaw, who sat staring at the leaders in horror.

Nightstar narrowed his eyes. "It wasn't us, I can tell you that much. But who ever it was didn't give mercy on your warriors."

"I've noticed!" Tallstar snapped. He looked at the last remaining leader. Bluestar blinked.

"What she did is nothing we can help." She growled defensively, knowing she was cornered. "In fact, we don't even know if this is the cat I exiled. The cat from _my_ clan was named Sandstorm."

Tallstar took a breath to calm down, but his fur was still quivering. "Why was she exiled..?"

Bluestar narrowed her eyes. "Because she.." The Thunderclan leader looked about and muttered something under her breath before meowing "She attacked us with foxes."

Snorts of laughter erupted from the crowd. "What's next? She going to send a badger out to fetch you water?" A Riverclan cat yowled sarcastically.

Tallstar stared poison at the tom. "You sound sarcastic, yes. You won't be so optimistic when you watch a fox dig into your own clanmates!"

The Riverclan cat recoiled, and his clanmate flicked him with her tail. "Nice going, Loudbelly."

The forest was silent, awaiting Tallstar's next words. There didn't even seem to be a breath, no bird, no rodent, no cat made a noise in the dark, frozen forest. "This cat," Tallstar began "She came at first in peace, only to talk. She said she wanted to attack someone, but I declined her. She didn't get the point of 'No,'. Eventually, she got frustrated and angered, so she let two foxes attack us. By the time se finally stopped them, two of my clanmates were dead, ripped open by the fox's foul jaws. She didn't attack, she only sat in the middle of it all and watched while the two foxes gaurded her." He scanned the crowd. "She said she was Stormstar, of Foxclan."

Fireheart tensed beside Spottedfoot. Sparing a glance at her kits, Spottedfoot froze when she saw Sappaw and Kindlepaw so horrified, there were no words to explain the reoccurring nightmares that glazed their eyes.

Behind her, she heard Graystripe try to lighten the mood. "Don't you think 'Foxclan' is a bit tacky? What about Slyclan, or... Gingerclan..."

Suddenly the clearing darkened. Yowls of disapproval erupted around the the Fourtrees as thick clouds slid across the sky. "Starclan does not wish for to fight over this!" Yellowfang yowled, but she wasn't heard by may cats because there was too many panicking warriors.

"This meeting is at an end!" Bluestar called loudly over the cats.

She jumped down off her spot and quickly began walking out of the Fourtrees, leaving Tallstar glaring at her.

* * *

><p>Yellowfang sat inside her den as Bluestar padded silently in. "Yellowfang," She meowed softly "What did you mean at the gathering when you said Starclan didn't want us to fight over Sandsto-.." She growled in her throat before continuing, correcting herself "When you said Starclan didn't want us to fight over Stormstar?"<p>

Yellowfang looked up from the few dried leaves she was sorting. "Starclan didn't want us to fight over it because we'll get to speak the this new leader ourselves, soon."

Bluestar bristled. "You mean you got an omen when the clouds covered the moon?"

Yellowfang nodded. "_Only the kindled fire, the sapping tendril and the eagle's talon can block the enemy's light._" Yellowfang meowed, shaking her head. "I still can't figure out what is means."

Bluestar shook her pelt, covering up her confusion. "Thank you, Yellowfang. If you figure out what it means, please tell me."

Yellowfang nodded and worked on sorting through the good and bad herbs.

_The prophecy isn't the only new thing to come to our clan, _Yellowfang thought, glancing out her entrance to the warriors den. Spottedfoot slipped out and grabbed a half-frozen mouse from the top of the fresh-kill pile. _The prophecy must be fulfilled..._

**Ok, I hope that was far more interesting than the last chapter XD**

**I actually wasn't listening to Down with the Sickness, I was listening to a ten hour long 'Caramaldansen' ROFL **

** :O lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**'Hands Held High'**

**"When the rich wage the, it's the poor who die." - Linkin Park, ( 02:28 / 03:54 )**

**Let's see if you guys get the connection between this quote and this chapter ^_^**

** Chapter Six - Moonless  
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Spottedfoot watched Fireheart quiver as he took in the news. "You're...expecting again?" When Spottedfoot nodded, he looked away. The bright light made his ginger fur a flame. The snow around them was already beginning to melt. "Do you really want to bring more vulnerable kits into this..?"

Spottedfoot froze. "I- I thought you'd be happy..." She tried to look him in the eye. She wanted to tell him Stormstar wouldn't hurt their kits, but she couldn't lie to her mate. "I thought you wanted to.. try again.."

Fireheart looked at her, his eyes sparking. "I don't want anymore kits to come into this world into Stormstar is dead. They're in too much danger otherwise." His emerald eyes crackled with apologies, pity, and a hint of frustration. "I-... I can't deal with this right now..." He padded off towards the tree-cut place, leaving Spottedfoot sitting, bewildered.

Feeling suddenly very unsafe, alone in the forest, she slowly padded back to camp. The first place she went to, was the medicine cat's den. "Yellowfang," She meow quietly "I'm..I'm expecting again. Should I go straight to the nursery?"

Yellowfang looked up at her from a dollop of pulp of the ground in front of her. Quickly eying Spottedfoot's belly, she nodded. "Go ahead. You're stomach is starting to swell."

Spottedfoot thanked her, and was about to leave when Yellowfang stopped her with a sharp meow. "Spottedfoot, is there anything that's been on your mind lately? You seem a little distracted."

Spottedfoot hesitated, then turned back to the medicine cat. "What does Stormstar want, do you think? I mean, she already thinks she killed me and my kits... What else could she possibly want?"

Yellowfang thought for a moment then shrugged. "Perhaps she simply wants revenge on the 'Clans for exiling her."

"And that's why she tried killing Windclan?"

"I said 'perhaps', didn't I? I don't know anything for sure."

Spottedfoot looked out at the camp's clearing before speaking again. "Fireheart seems to think Stormstar will try to kill my new kits." Yellowfang's ear twitched.

"Don't think about those things, Spottedfoot." Yellowfang said quickly, an aura of understanding in her voice. "Just enjoy yourself while you can. When was the last time you had a chat with Sappaw and Kindlepaw?"

Spottedfoot shrugged her dappled shoulders. Meowing a half-hearted thank, she padded to the nursery. She wondered why Fireheart was acting so strange.

She pushed her way into the nursery and ignored the startled meows, lying down. Even though the sun was just barely setting, she closed her eyes, ready to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Kindlepaw stalked the mouse quietly, each pawstep barely more than a whisper. The snow around him had began to melt during the day, and he was finding himself cursing - The snow had made the ground soggy and muddy. The mouse nibbled on a plant root distractedly. Kindlepaw leaped, landing a tail's length away from it's foot. The mouse dropped the root and scurried away to it's den.<p>

"Mouse dung!" Kindlepaw spat. He began to dig up the ground where the mouse had disappeared into, his long claws scoring easily through the ground. "Got you!" He hissed, grabbed the mouse by the tail with his teeth, after he found in trapped under some dirt Kindlepaw caused to fall in. He dropped it, bit it's neck, killing it quickly.

He picked up again, triumphantly, and padded back to camp, occasionally digging up other pieces of prey as he moved. When he arrived at the camp, a finch, sparrow, mole and mouse hanging from his mouth, he dropped them in the pile before taking one for himself.

As he lay down, tucking into the mole he caught, Sappaw padded up to him with a squirrel clamped in her jaws. Her eyes were glazed with concern.

As she joined him, she whispered "Something's been up with Fireheart and Spottedfoot." She looked at Fireheart, who sat alone, not even with Graystripe. "Do you know what's going on?"

"I don't know," Kindlepaw replied, taking a thoughtful bite of his mole "Maybe it has something to do with the gathering? They said Sandstorm was coming back."

"Stormstar," Sappaw retorted, with a correcting tone, "Is not what I am talking about. There's something different going on between them, something that wasn't influenced by Stormstar... Besides, I'm training harder than ever in battle practice. If Stormstar ever _does_ happen to attack us, I'll be ready to flay her in three heartbeats."

"Don't exaggerate," Kindlepaw purred, nudging his sister. Then he sighed and got to his paws, the moonless sky was completely black now. "Anyways, I'm going to catch up on some sleep. The gathering took a lot out of us."

Sappaw nodded and followed him into the apprentice's den.

_Only the kindled fire, the sapping tendril, and the eagle's talon can block the enemy's light..._

**Shorter than the last .-.**

**Lol .3.**_  
><em>


	7. Chapter 7

**I KNOW it's been such a long time and I'm SORRY! ~Dies~ As soon as I finish "Ripped Flesh", I promise this is the next story I'm going to finish! **

**Also, as you can see, I've updated my writing style. I think this way is better (TT^TT I dunno how many peeps are gonna see a difference lol)**

**AAAAND I can only assume the Spottedfoot has been expecting for a while...so... Yeah...**

**Don't kill meh! ~Falls~**

**Chapter Seven - Sappaw**

Sappaw lunged at Graystripe, her claws gouging the earth that the gray warrior was just standing on.

"Whoa, what are you trying to do, make bedding out of my glorious fur? Retract those claws, Sappaw!" Graystripe ordered, jumping out of Sappaw's way again as the she-cat attempted to flip him.

"Sorry, Graystripe!" Sappaw apologized through gritted teeth. "They just kind of came out as I was fighting." She dodged a blow to from Graystripe that would have sent her rolling across the training hallow.

Graystripe suddenly dove into the ferns that surrounded the clearing. Sappaw stopped, flexing her powerful muscles that rippled beneath her fur.

"Graystripe?" She called out after a moment. The gray warrior had disappeared. Sappaw looked around, ready for an attack. She let out a throaty growl to let Graystripe know she was still ready.

"Don't get so _smug_." Graystripe's voice came from above, and before Sappaw could even react, she felt the gray warrior's weight flatten her. The breath shot out of Sappaw, and she coughed. She went limp until Graystripe loosened his grip on her - Then she flipped him over, sending him flying across the clearing and into a tree's trunk.

"Are you a cat or a squirrel, Graystripe?" Sappaw chided, her yellow eyes flashing.

Graystripe got to his paws. "I don't know, you're the one who got a pretty good chunk of my fur earlier. Do I _taste_ like squirrel to you?" He growled good-naturedly.

Sappaw purred before jumping towards him again. Graystripe faked to her left, then shot to Sappaw's right, knocking her over. Sappaw yowled in surprise as Graystripe pinned her down. "I don't think a squirrel could _possibly_ take you down..." Graystripe purred.

Sappaw smirked.

Graystripe hopped off her. "Well, you're doing great for four moons in as an apprentice. Hopefully by the time you're done you'll be able to take _me_ down... Finally..."

"Oh hush. You're a seasoned warrior."

"Who just totally got owned by an apprentice."

Sappaw snorted. She sighed and looked up at the sky. "We should go back, now. It's starting to get dark."

"Yeah. Plus, you deserve a rest. That was a well-fought battle." He led the way back towards the camp just as the sun started to dip below the horizon.

* * *

><p>Kindlepaw walked into the clearing right after his sister did. Whitestorm sent him off to hunt, and it had taken three trips to get all of the prey he had gathered. As he dropped the last piece of prey in the fresh-kill pile, he looked around the clearing. Spottedfoot's eyes were shining from the nursery, Fireheart was speaking quietly with Bluestar, and Sappaw was about to start eating a plump mouse.<p>

Things have changed, almost to Kindlepaw's disliking. Spottedfoot and Fireheart seem to be drifting away, and whenever they were close to each other, there was an awkward feeling in the air. It worried Kindlepaw. Sappaw and Kindlepaw were changing too, but for the better. They were stronger, now. They could fight. They were finally helpful to their clan.

But the one the that hasn't changed, is the lingering sense of fear that Stormstar left behind when she left. There have been more and more fox-scents reported, but not even a hair of the cowardly beasts have been found. However... Shadowclan have been acting odd. Kindlepaw wasn't going to be trusting them any time soon.

Kindlepaw sighed and grabbed a finch off the top of the fresh-kill pile, before padding towards his sister.

* * *

><p>Kindlepaw lay on his back, staring up at the sky that peeked through the leaves of the apprentices' den. Sappaw rolled over and blinked at him. It was the dead of night.<p>

"Can't sleep?" Sappaw whispered.

"No." Kindlepaw sighed. He hesitated a moment before asking: "Do you ever have a feeling that we're moving faster than everything else?"

Sappaw knew exactly what he meant. She shrugged. "Maybe we're not moving fast enough. Maybe we're just trying to keep up with everything else."

Kindlepaw was silent. He never thought of it that way. He turned his head to his sister. "I wish I knew what was up with Spottedfoot and Fireheart. They seem to be avoiding each other."

"So do I. But if they don't want to tell us, it's none of our business. "

"Right. But what if...?"

"What if it has something to do with Stormstar? Starclan knows that everything _bad_ is associated with her." Sappaw snarled sourly.

Kindlepaw looked back up at the night sky. He didn't reply.

* * *

><p>"Someone tell the apprentices to get some more moss and cobwebs!" Yellowfang's yowl broke through the silence of the night - Along with a screech of pain from Spottedfoot.<p>

Spottedfoot scrunched her eyes, sweat starting to moisten her fur. She let out a long hiss as pain flashed across her body again. Yellowfang dropped a stick on Spottedfoot's chest.

"Bite that. It'll help." Yellowfang advised.

"I think I've had a bloody kit before!" Spottedfoot snapped as she chomped down on the stick.

"Just push, you snippy queen." Yellowfang retorted.

Spottedfoot did as she was told, and before she knew it a sac fell out of her and fell onto the moss and cobwebs. Yellowfang quickly nipped the sac open and handed it over to a queen so she could lick the cat and prompt it to breath.

While a queen took care of the kit, another kit fell to the moss. The flustered Yellowfang nipped the sac and handed it to the queen.

Spottedfoot let out a hiss and thick stick snapped in her mouth as the final kit rolled to the moss. The exhausted queen could feel Yellowfang tense after the medicine cat nipped the sac and licked the kit.

"What...?" Spottedfoot breathed tiredly.

"This kit..." Yellowfang gasped.

This promted Spottedfoot to open her eyes. The queen struggled to sit up and looked down at the kit that baffled Yellowfang - And let out a low yowl of remorse.

"I'm sorry." Yellowfang sighed as Spottedfoot wrapped her tail around the dead kit.

"What other..." Spottedfoot stuttered, her eyes closed. "What other kits?"

"One she-kit and one tom." Yellowfang purred, despite the death of the newborn.

Spottedfoot opened her eyes to look at her surviving kits. The she-kit was white with green eyes, and the tom was a misty gray with long claws. Spottedfoot's heart warmed ever-so-slightly. She touched her nose to the she-kit. "Her name is Lightkit." Then to the tom: "His name is Talonkit." She looked up at Yellowfang.

The medicine cat was staring down at Lightkit was a horrified look in her eyes.

**Alright, kinda short. Hope it was semi-worth the really, really... **_**really**_**... long wait. Lol**


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